Heat exchanger

ABSTRACT

A heat exchanger for transporting thermal energy between an object that is adjustable in its temperature and a heat transport medium, comprising a thermally conductive main body formed with an inside space for guiding the heat transport medium, and guidance elements that are arranged in the inside space for guiding at least one separation wall that is insertable into the inside space for separating two subspaces in the inside space that can guide at least a part of the heat transport medium. The separation wall includes a through hole that connects the subspace together.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a US national stage application of PCT/EP2015/070467 filed Sep. 8, 2015, claiming priority to DE 10 2014 014 393.7 filed Oct. 2, 2014, the entire disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to heat exchanger, a method for producing a heat exchanger and the use of a heat exchanger.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A heat exchanger according to the preamble part of patent claim 1 is known from DE 36 06 334 C2. This heat exchanger is a cross flow heat exchanger including a plurality of parallelly running flow channels that are limited against each other by separation walls. To operating principle, of a cross flow heat exchanger is that the flow channels are arranged in that heat exchanging takes place between neigh-boring flow channels. Due to that reason, the single flow channels shall not be connected to each other, to ensure that the fluids between which the heat shall be exchanged, does not mix.

DE 60 2005 000 004 T2 shows a main body for a heat exchanger that is made of an extrusion shape and includes a plurality of cylindrical channels.

In a lot of technical fields as the information technology, the electronic industry, in the fields of electric energy production, the control engineering, in the train and/or ship construction, areas with increased temperature so called hot spots have to be cooled down with heat exchangers that adjusts the temperature of objects in the form of isolated applications. For removing the heat from the hot spot, a liquid heat transport medium, as water, will be necessary for achieving a certain cooling power. There are basically two heat exchangers:

In case of fin heat exchangers known from DE 197 09 176 A1, also known as classical air/water heat exchangers, air will be cooled in a room to cool down, with the cooled air, components in the room for protecting them against overheating or to keep the temperature constant. Therein, the inlet air passes a main body in which the heat transport medium receives the heat from the air and transports it away. However, the heat transport medium can release the heat to the air, such that the air cools down the heat transport medium. In this basic way, heat exchangers for control cabinets, climate control units, car coolers and the like operate.

Fin heat exchangers basically differ in their fabrication and the guide of the air that passes the fin heat exchanger.

From DE 20 2005 003 502 U1, a fin heat exchanger is known having thin metal stripes that are plugged onto metallic tubes. The metallic tubes are then closed at their ends with round arches, such that finally a tube system is provided that guides the heat transport medium. Indeed, with this construction principle a plurality of different air guides and thus a good thermal contact between the air and the heat transport medium can be realized. However, a lot of weld and soldering work is necessary to provide the tube system for guiding the heat transport medium.

From the DE 10 2007 050 356 A1, a fin heat exchanger with a frame is known, into which rill sheets are embedded. The construction principle of these fin heat exchangers is also named embedded fold structure. Indeed, this embedding can be realized with a comparably low production expenditure in manufacturing. However, the freedom in guiding the air to the heat transport medium is significantly limited, because the air can be guided only vertical to the rill sheets.

Additionally to fin heat exchangers, cold plate heat exchangers are known from the US 2013 112 383 A1 and the US 2006/0017202 A1 that are attachable directly onto an object to be cooled down. Such kinds of cold plate heat exchanger are produced by milling rills for guiding the heat transport medium into a metallic semi-finished part. Subsequently, the milled semi-finished part will be closed again. Therein, a planar mounting section, the so called plate cold side, must be provided, for directly attaching an object to be cooled down. Cold plate heat exchangers will for example be used for cooling down microprocessors of computers. The expenditure to mill the cooling rills into the cold plate heat exchanger is very high and is hardly practicable in mass production. Furthermore, milling is basically a metal-cutting production method with a respectively high quantity of waste material.

Indeed, a certain flexibility can be reached with a modular construction for a heat exchanger, as known from the US 2005/0128705 A1, known heat exchangers have basically to be produced dependent on their purpose of use, wherein the production can be, dependent on the kind of the heat exchanger, very complex.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Facing this, it is object of the invention to provide a heat exchanger that can not only be produced with a uniform production method but also customizable to a certain purpose of use. It shall further be customizable in its guidance of the heat exchange medium.

The object will be solved by the features of the independent claims 1 and 10. Preferred embodiments are subject of the dependent claims.

According to an aspect of the invention, a heat exchanger for transporting thermal energy between an object to be adjusted in it temperature and a heat transport medium comprises a thermally conductive main body in which an inside space for guiding the heat transport medium is formed and a separation wall arranged in the inside space and for separating two subspaces in the inside space that are connected via a passage with each other and in which at least a part of the heat transport medium can be guided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 a perspective view of a heat exchanger that is partly exploded.

FIGS. 2a to 2f schematic views of possible configurations for an inside space in a main body of the heat exchanger of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3a to 3c side views of possible heat exchangers.

FIG. 4 a perspective view of a wall of the main body with slots, into which fins are inserted.

FIG. 5 a view of a possible heat exchanger, seen in profile.

In the figures, equal technical elements will be referenced with equal reference signs and described only once. The figures are merely schematic and do especially not show the real geometric situation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The provided heat exchanger is based on the thought that in the heat exchangers mentioned in the beginning, the exterior of the heat exchanger will usually not be formed until the guidance for the heat transport medium is formed. In case of the fin heat exchanger of the first type, the tubes guiding the heat transport medium will be arranged before the metal strips defining the exterior will be plugged. In case of the first type, the location of the tubes is not amendable afterwards, such that a fin heat exchanger of this type must be individually constructed for each specific application case. The same is given in case of the cold plate heat exchanger, at which the milled guidances cannot be simply amended afterwards.

The heat exchanger of the present invention attaches at this point with the proposal to provide a thermally conductive main body with guidance elements in its inside space, wherein the main body is formable in principle as desired, however preferably with a rectangular section. In this inside space, channels for guiding the heat transport medium can be formed afterwards via separation walls, wherein these separation walls will be inserted into the inside space via the guidance elements. That is, the heat exchanger can initially be formed by the manufacturer in a common and fundamental shape and then be afterwards adapted for the customer in a custom way.

Therein, the main body can be custom manufactured as fin heat exchanger or as cold plate heat exchanger. As the main body needs not to be destroyed from the outside afterwards due to the moveably insertable separation walls for forming the channels for guiding the heat transport medium, the heat exchanger can basically be formed according to a fin heat exchanger or according to a cold plate heat exchanger with a uniform production method. Simply the tool for forming the fins at the fin heat exchanger or the cold plate side at the cold plate heat exchanger has to be selected depending on the application. Therein, both kinds of heat exchangers can also be combined into one single heat exchanger.

Basically, the main body can be custom formed as casted body or something like that. However, the main body is preferably an extruded body, in particular a metal extruded body that has a closed profile as viewed in cross section. An extrusion should hereinafter be understood as a primary shaping method that is used to continuously press a viscous hardenable mass under pressure through a shape defining opening. The main body formed therein has a sectional profile that depends on the opening and can theoretically be extruded with an infinite length. There are different extrusion methods. However, metal extrusion is suited best for forming the main body, because thermally conductive materials like metals can be processed best therewith. A main body is that manufactured with an extrusion method is characterized by its sectional profile that is constant over the complete extrusion length.

Together with the extrusion and thus together with the metal extrusion, the outside of the main body can be defined in an arbitrary way by the before mentioned shape defining opening. If the temperature defining object is an air stream, fins can be formed together with the metal extrusion. If the object to be adjusted in its temperature is a component or device, the main body can be provided with the plate cold side without fins. Therein, the opening can be formed in that one side of the main body extruded with fins and the other side of the main body will be extruded without fins to combine the fin heat exchanger and the cold plate heat exchanger.

In an additional embodiment, the heat exchanger comprises a separation wall with a length that is shorter than the length of the main body. This is one possibility to form a passage that connects the subspaces. Alternatively or additionally, the passage can be formed as a through opening through the separation wall.

In an embodiment, the heat exchanger comprises a further separation wall that is fixedly connected to the main body and that is adapted to separate a further subspace that is independent from the other both subspaces in the inside space. This further separation wall can be formed during the metal extrusion. In this way, the further separation wall is fixedly connected to the main body, such that the further separation wall works like a stabilizing bar that increases the mechanical stability of the main body.

To connect the subspaces that are formed to each other, a part of the further separation wall can be recessed in the area of an end side of the main body that is formed as extrusion body. The recess can be formed into the further separation wall by metal cutting methods as sawing or milling as well as by other working methods as water jet cutting or laser beam cutting.

For completely forming the channels to guide the heat transport medium, the main body formed as extrusion body can be closed by end plates at the end sides. A further installation of tubes or the like for completely forming the channels to guide the heat transport medium is then not further necessary.

For supplying the heat transport medium to the inside space and for discharging the heat transport medium from the inside space in a further embodiment, the heat exchanger will be provided with a supply element to the inside space at one of the end plates and with a discharge element from the inside space at the same or the other end plate.

According to a further aspect of the invention, one of the before mentioned heat exchangers will be used as fin heat exchanger and/or as cold plate heat exchanger.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for producing one of the before mentioned heat exchangers comprises the steps extruding a main body with an inside space and guidance elements arranged in the extrusion direction in the inside space, inserting the separation wall into the guidance elements, closing the main body with two end plates at its end sides and forming a supply element to the inside space and a discharge element from the inside space.

Reference is made to FIG. 1, which shows a perspective view of a heat exchanger 2 that is partly exploded. The heat exchanger 2 is basically formed of a main body 4 that has in a non limiting way a rectangular sectional profile. Hereinafter, this main body 4 should be described first in further detail. Thereafter, it will be gone into detail of the heat exchanger 2.

The main body 4 is opened to an inside space 10 at a first end side 6 and at a second end side 8 located opposite to the first end side 6 and that is not visible in the perspective of FIG. 1.

Seen in its profile, the inside space 10 is limited by a bottom wall 12, a top wall 14 that is located opposite to the bottom wall 12, a first side wall 16 and a second side wall that is located opposite to the first side wall 16, wherein the inside space 10 is opened only at the end sides 6, 8. Therein, the shape of the inside space 10 can be rounded in the vicinity of the side walls 16, 18, to provide the main body 4 with more mechanical stability.

Here, the inside space 10 is further separated into ten subspaces 26 via five movable separation walls in form of sliders 22 and further four fixed separation walls in from of bars 24. In these subspaces 26, a heat transport medium 28 can be inserted that is indicated in FIGS. 2a to 2f . This will be described in detail later.

The single subspaces 26 are connected with each other to guide the heat transport medium 28 between a supply connector 30 and a discharge connector 32. Also this will be described in detail later. To connect the subspaces 26 with each other, the bars 24 comprise in the area of the first end side 6 of the main body 4 recesses 34. In contrast, the movable sliders 22 comprise a slider length 36 shown in FIGS. 2a to 2f that is shorter than a main body length 38 of the main body 4 between the both end sides 6, 8.

For guiding the sliders 22 in the inside space 10 of the main body 4, guiding elements in form of guiding rails 40 are arranged in the inside space 10. For the sake of clarity, only one of these guiding rails 40 is provided with a reference sign in FIG. 1.

Basically, the main body 4 should be provided with the sliders 22 to form the sub spaces 26, because the before mentioned guidance of the heat transport medium 28 can be arbitrarily defined in this way. The bars 24 fixedly arranged in the inside space 10 shall be used only in exceptional cases for mechanically stabilizing the main body 4.

At the bottom wall 12 and the top wall 14 of the main body 4 of FIG. 1, fins 42 are formed through which an air stream 44 can stream that is shown in FIGS. 3a and 3c and that air is regarded as an object to be adjusted in its temperature. Only three of these fins 42 are provided with a reference sign on the top wall 14 in FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity.

The main body 4 shown in FIG. 1 is extruded by metal extruding, because in this way, the interior space 10 can be formed with the bars 22 and the guiding rails 40 as well as the fins 42 on the bottom wall 12 and the top wall 14 in one process step. The extrusion body on which the main body 4 is based can be manufactured with an arbitrary extrusion length, wherein the main body can finally be shortened to its main body length 38. Afterward, only the recesses 34 at the bars 24 needs to be formed, then the heat exchanger 2 can be manufactured based on the main body.

Therefore, the sliders 22 will initially be inserted into the guiding rails 40 in the inside space 10 to define the subspaces 26 in a shape specific to the end user. Possible shapes specific to the end user will be explained hereinafter based on FIGS. 2a to 2 f.

As shown in FIGS. 2a to 2c , the single subspaces 26 formed by the sliders 22 and bars 24 can be arranged in series such that the way of the heat transport medium 28 runs in a sinuous line way through the inside space 10 of the main body 4. Therein as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b , the sliders 22 and bars 24 can be arranged alternately besides each other, while the subspaces 26 in the interior space 10 of the main body 4 might also be completely defined with the sliders 22, as shown in FIG. 2c . In FIG. 2a , the main body 4 has due to bars 24 used twice the highest mechanical stability, while the main body 4 in FIG. 2c has without any bar 24 the lowest mechanical stability.

Instead of the teaching shown in FIGS. 2a to 2c , in particular the sliders 22 can be formed between its ends with through holes 48 as shown in FIGS. 2d and 2e . In each Figure, only one through hole 48 is provided with a reference sign. Advantageously on each slider 22, a plurality of through holes 48 can be formed on equidistant intervals. In an inserted state of the single sliders 22, the single through holes 48 can be displaced against each other or, as shown in FIGS. 2d and 2e , not displaced against each other. It will be only possible to let the size of the through holes 48 vary dependent on the position on the single sliders 22. In this way, the heat transport medium 28 will contrary to FIGS. 2a to 2c not be guided in series through the single subspaces 26. Eventually, the sliders 22 introduce with its through holes 48 a friction loss that equally distributes the heat transport medium 28 in the inside space 10.

In the end, the principle of a distributed guidance of the heat transport medium 28 through the inside space 10 can be combined with the principle of a guidance of the heat transport medium 28 in series through the single subspaces 26, as shown in FIG. 2 f.

After configuring and defining the guidance of the heat transport medium 28 in the inside space 10 by the sliders 22 and the bars 24 (as shown in FIGS. 2a to 2f ), the inside space 10 will be closed to the outside, if it is necessary or intended in an end user specific way. Therein, end plates 46 will be put on the end sites 6, 8 of the main body 4 that closes the inside space 10 of the main body 4 at the end sites 6, 8. FIG. 1 shows a possible end plate 46 that can be put on the first end site 6 of the main body 4. It includes contrary to another not shown end plate that can be put on the second end side 8 the supply connector 30 and the discharge connector 32. These will then be arranged on the end plate 46 in that the supply connector 30 and the discharge connector 32 will lead into one of the subspaces 26 as indicated in the FIGS. 2a to 2 f.

After putting on the end sites 6, 8, the end plates 46 will be connected with the main body 4. When selecting the connection technique, it should be considered that the end plates 46 should tightly close the inside space 10 to prevent a leakage of the heat transport medium 28. For this purpose, a welding technique would suit best. The form the connection between the end plates 46 and the main body 4 as precisely as possible, the end plates 46 will be put on the main body 4 in profile direction in a form fitting way, such that they are situated a defined position and the connection can be securely performed.

The heat exchanger 2 manufactured in this way can now be used to transfer thermal energy between the above mentioned air stream 44 and/or a component 50 shown in FIGS. 3b and 3c and the heat transport medium 28. Now, the advantage of the heat exchanger 2 will become apparent, because the inside space 10 with its subspaces 26 as well as the guidance of the heat transport medium 28 will be formed completely independent from a shape of the bottom wall 12, the top wall 14 and the side walls 16, 18. That is, the heat exchanger 2 can be produced with a custom configuration and adapted to the end user requirements.

In FIG. 3a , the heat exchanger 2 of FIG. 1 is shown in a side view seen on the second side wall 18 in an operating state, in which the heat exchanger 2 is exposed to the air stream 44. The heat exchanger 2 is in this shape a fin heat exchanger. Therein, the air stream 44 passes the fins 42, while the heat transport medium 28 in form of water flows through the subspaces 26 of the in FIG. 3a not visible inside space 10. Therein, the heat transport medium 28 has a temperature that is lower than a temperature of the air 44 that passes the fins 42. In this way, the passing air 44 heats up the fins 42, which then delivers the heat energy to the respectively colder heat transport medium 28. This then transports the heat via the in FIG. 3a not visible discharge connector 32 to a heat sink that can cool down the heat transport medium 28 in a known way and reintroduce it via the supply connector 30 into the inside space 10 of the heat exchanger 2.

In FIG. 3b , an alternative form is shown, in which the heat exchanger 2 can also be embodied. Therein, components 50 are directly put on the top wall 14 that should be embodied in a flat way for an optimal heat contact with the components 50, that is without fins 42. The heat exchanger 2 in this shape is a cold plate heat exchanger. To produce the main body for the heat exchanger 2 of FIG. 3b , only one extrusion tool must be provided for the metal extrusion, with which the main body 4 can be formed without fins 42. All remaining method steps form producing the heat exchanger 2 remain unchanged.

Conveniently, the fin heat exchanger and the cold plate heat exchanger can be combined into one single heat exchanger 2 that is shown in FIG. 3 c.

In a further alternative way, the main body 4 can also be formed at of the walls 12 to 18 with in FIG. 4 shown slots 52 into which fins 42 might be pressed. In FIG. 4, this principle is shown based on a plate that represents the main body 4 and that is also provided with the reference sign of the main body 4 for the sake of clarity. Also in FIG. 4, not all fins 42 and slots 52 are provided with an own reference sign.

In FIG. 5, a further embodiment of the heat exchanger 2 is shown.

The heat exchanger 2 of FIG. 5 is a further development of the heat exchanger 2 of FIG. 3c combining a fin heat exchanger and a cold plate heat exchanger. At the bottom wall 12, fins 42 are formed that are not all provided with an own reference sign for the sake of clarity. On the top wall 14, components 50 might be fixed.

For fixing the components 50 fixing elements in form of threaded holes 54 are formed, into which not shown fixing screws for mechanically attaching the components 50 to the heat exchanger 2 can be screwed. The single threaded holes 54 have each a bore diameter 56.

In FIG. 5, the threaded holes 54 are formed into bars 24 of the main body 4 of the heat exchanger 2. For this purpose, the bars 24 have, seen in the profile of the main body 4, a bar width 58 that is larger than the bore diameter 56 of the threaded holes 54 that is formed into the respective bar 24. 

1. Heat exchanger for transporting thermal energy between an object that is adjustable in its temperature and a heat transport medium, comprising: a thermally conductive main body formed with an inside space for guiding the heat transport medium, and guidance elements that are arranged in the inside space for guiding at least one separation wall that is insertable into the inside space for separating two subspaces in the inside space that can guide at least a part of the heat transport medium, characterized in that the separation wall includes a through hole that connects the subspace together.
 2. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that the main body is a metal extrusion body that has a closed profile as viewed in cross section.
 3. Heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that the separation wall has a length that is smaller than a length of the main body in direction of the extrusion.
 4. Heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that one further separation wall is provided that is fixedly attached to the main body and that is adapted to form at least one further subspace in the inside space that is independent from the both subspaces.
 5. Heat exchanger according to claim 4, characterized in that the further separation wall is part of the extrusion body, wherein a part of the further separation wall is recessed in the area of one end side of the extrusion body.
 6. Heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that two end elements are provided at the end sides that close the inside space of the main body at the end sides.
 7. Heat exchanger according to claim 6, characterized in that a supply element to the inside space and a discharge element out of the inside space are provided for respectively supplying and discharging the heat transport medium into and out of the inside space.
 8. Heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that cooling fins are attached to at least a part of the exterior of the main body.
 9. (canceled)
 10. Method for producing a heat exchanger according to claim 1 comprising the following steps: Extruding a main body with an inside space and guidance elements arranged in extrusion direction in the inside space, Inserting at least one a separation wall that separates in the inside space two subspaces, wherein the separation wall includes a through hole that connects the two subspaces together, Closing the inside space of the main body with two end plates at its end sides, and Forming a supply element to the inside space and a discharge element out of the inside space. 